American Classic Calls It Quits... For Now

Here are the facts: A few weeks ago, American Classic closed their factory doors in Taichung. After 35 years in the bike business, the brand seems to be done. Forty workers in Taiwan and the United States have been given severance pay and let go. Their demise is being described as a “cash flow” issue. The brand experienced declining sales in 2016, hoped to bolster things with OE sales and when that didn’t materialize, the funds weren’t there to keep things rolling.

Bill Shook of American Classic... going really wide back in 2013.

Those are the facts—sad, simple and tidy—but they don’t really say much to me about the reality of things. I am, frankly, saddened to see American Classic on the rocks. This isn’t a brand that rolled out “me too” products. Bill Shook, the engineer and founder of American Classic, was never a man at rest. The former national team racer was an absolutely ruthless innovator who was always willing to spit the status quo in the eye.

Bill Shook and American Classic were consistently ahead of the curve when it came to building hyper-light, but surprisingly durable wheelsets. The brand had their glitch moments—I won’t deny that—there were freehub issues at times and sometimes those ultralight aluminum rims could have withstood the hits better... But one thing you could count on Shook to do was to push the limits of things—that was true, even in recent years when you might expect the brand to coast. Instead, they were pushing the limits of wide rims and questioning whether there are better ways than the conventional Boost 148 approach to build a stronger rear wheel.

Look, a brand doesn’t get to celebrate 35 years in this business because they phone it in.

But if I’m going to be completely candid here, I’ll just say this: Bill Shook and his partner, Ellen Kast, are two of the nicest damned people I’ve met in my life. They are also two of the smartest, wittiest and completely passionate (to the point of nuttiness) people I know when it comes to bikes.

While there is a lot of time and attention spent on cultivating a Brand of Cool in the bike industry, Shook and Kast never, ever gave a crap about any of that. They loved engineering. They loved riding bikes. They loved talking to customers who would wander up into their booth and press Bill Shook for hours about the merits of ceramic bearings or some minute detail about the tooth profile on one of his pawls. Shook and Kast always took the time to listen to those customers. Year in and year out.

Let me tell you: that is a rare damn thing in this world.

I don’t know what’s ultimately in store for the couple or their brand. According to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, American Classic is currently in negotiations to sell its trademarks and other intellectual property. Bill Shook is reportedly still at it, working away on designs and available for consulting.

While most people are counting American Classic out, I personally hope it’s not the end.

We should make a Disney movie, but instead they become the world standard of bicycle wheels, and Ryan Leech endorses them, and there's a big happy group get together at the end with all the characters, and confetti.

I dont get it, their wheels are some of the best out there. Ive had 2 sets and the build quility and materials were excellent. The weight was well below other more expensive brands too. Thats a real shame. Some of the best wheels ive ridden.

@schnellmann: With a little research you can submit the lawsuit forms as a plaintiff without a lawyer. Depending on the state, it could cost around $79(Oregon) to file. That would save several hundred off starting the process. Then once you have submitted your lawsuit you can contact a lawyer and bring them up to date and also use them to contact the needed people.

@m1dg3t: i am used to it. Very used to unknowledgeable consumers buying on price not quality. Very used to marketing companies loss leading and feeding off that ignorance. Very worried that the end result is companies run for profit and selfish means. Shame you dont see the impending issues this will bring in an industry that used to be about quality and respect.

@Bustacrimes: If it were just a race to the bottom we'd all be riding Huffies. There are always tradeoffs between quality, pricing, and the marketing of items. There will always be some consumers that put quality as a top priority and some companies that fill those niches.

@XCMark: Saving hundreds of dollars in a patent case has little more impact than saving hundreds of thousands dollars of the national debit debt. Kidding aside, realistically you will not win a patent litigation without an experienced attorney. if nothing else so that you will file in federal court and not state court.

Plus, as a patent holder the deck is stacked against you nowadays. If the person taking the IP from the patent holder looses in one forum, they get a chance to call Mulligan and try over (and over again) in a different forum until they get the result they want. The infringer only needs to win once, while the patentee has to prevail every single time. All of this before any court of appeals ever gets involved.

@Bustacrimes: quality and respect lolz! think of all the shite products foisted on us over the past 20 years. so many garbage-piss products... so many brands shouldn't be around. shame we're losing this one though.

Once upon a time hard work and brains were enough, now it’s marketing a media (smoke and mirrors). I think Yt is a prime example, good product, price, hype= cash. Sometimes the good guys don’t win but I hope they make a comeback.

And hype costs money, the more a company spends on hype the less of their overall resources go to things like R&D and prototyping.

Of course hype equals consumers equals capital, but in my mind if two bikes are near identical in price and spec and one company spends more on marketing, purely visual elements like decals and color matching...the less likely I am to buy that bike. In this example I think plugging YT and Canyon into the equation, or Commencal and Canyon, works perfectly.

In my opinion they're all more than sufficient, but canyon has the most ingenious design and attention to detail of the three.

I make no judgement of the current landscape, but hype and good 'gram skills count for a lot.

@LoganKM1982: As much as I like YT they do very, very little R&D. They basically copy the geo from a Specialized and add super progressive leverage ratios. Total R&D cost= renting a spesh for a day. They even admit that. Que the smoke machine...

@Boardlife69: actually, I bought a YT Jeffsy 29 and compared it to an old Giant Trance 29 from 2013 that I have too. The Trance is so old that it barely has any useful geo info on their webpage. So I measured the bikes myself and lo and behold they are pretty much the same except for Jeffsy having slightly slacker front and steeper seat tube. So that were some expensive couple of degrees. Amazingly enough, Jeffsy corners better though.

I think to run a small local business in a basic industry then hard work and brains are enough. You want to set up a carpet fitting shop - for as long as you do a good job for a good price, never screw anybody over and work a lot of hours etc you'll probably do very well. Once you're established you won't even have to do any advertising because enough people will already know about you to keep you going.
However if you want to sell high end mountain bike wheels internationally in a stacked marketplace where other companies have a tonne more money than you and are willing to make less per wheelset AND you're trying to do your own research and development. That's always going to be tough and requires a lot more than hard work and brains. I have barely heard of American Classic and I've been riding 10 years. I don't think I've ever seen a pair of their wheels with my eyes. That's nothing against them - their products actually look really good - it just shows what a stacked market it is.

@fullfacemike: that's how you lose money down there. yup. I know. taking advantage of dips is one thing but throwing cash on a burning pile of garbage doesn't put the fire out. see yahoo.com or MySpace or uber as an example lol

I'm bummed out like many here. @vernonfelton you nailed it here. Nicest people around, always address your concerns when it comes to product feedback.

I had the chance to ride for them this year, and will keep the wheels rolling for another few more! 35 years ain't nothing, and they won't be gone for too long... I can tell you that, they will find a way of a comeback.

I understand that the two partners didn't care about the "cool" factor but they are not their own customers. To understand how consumers think and want is super important. I like the fact they did listen to people's feedback but without a strong marketing campaign to spread awareness and that "Cool" factor the boat slowly began to sink.

I don't know much about the company but I would have sponsored some good athletes. Brought on board some ambassadors who are just as passionate as they are to spread the word.

In order to keep afloat in business is to understand and accept change.

Disappointing news. I started using their seatposts and bottle cages in the early 90s racing on the road. Still have a ti spindled BB from them in my parts box, and a few hub sets.
I agree that they are some of the best folks in the industry. Had many good chats will Bill at Interbike over the years. Best of luck Bill and Ellen!
Los

Guess the wheel industry is a tough one especially when you read the previous article on the sub $500 Stan’s S1 review.Think we will see a lot of American companies hit by the new tax laws. Companies that manufacture over seas are in the line of fire.Makes me wonder about brands like Specialized and Intense, will we see carbon frames made in the states or will there be an aluminium revival?

I think the point is, a wheel is a wheel is a wheel. How many companies are there making wheels that are in the same ballpark weight, material, price or number of clicks. There are more companies making the same stuff than the market can support. That's the bottom line. We're always being told that boost this and spoke count that, barfing angle x and Poe y blah blah blah. Really they are just round things that make our bikes go along. It's a shame when companies bite the dust though. I hope those Taiwanese workers who have been laid off don't have to bite the shit sandwich that is moving to China.

Really nice people and thought outside the circle. It is a shame to see them fold. I think they were harmed by Bill’s hubs not having a high enough POE to market well, despite their light weight. Frankly, I think 24 points were adequate and their unique pawl design without springs was neat.

I hope to see them survive, but at the same time I am hoping to see Am Classic at blowout pricing. I have never had an issue with any of their products over the years..seat posts, stems, cranks, and hubs have all been on one bike or another since the mid 90's. I still have two of the bottle cages from '95.

I hope this is not a result of the massive amount of new "standards"...where nobody (exept the largest) can afford to have all hub options of all wheel sizes in stock all over the globe. What a SHAME for the whole industry if so.

We sell their wheels in and they are honestly the best value wheels you can get. Sure the hubs are a bit slow but find a good shop that can buy the rims on their own (american classic are very protective) and lace them into some hopes etc and theyre bomb proof. We literally all ride them in the shop.

Shame to see them go. However... Good news. I hear there is a certain company trying to buy them out

I love my AC All Mountain Wheelset. I don't love the hub engagement compared to my i9 wheelset but they are light, durable and ride phenomenal. I wish they would have been more willing to design their rims around other hubs. Wide lightning paired up with some i9/hope hubs would be awesome!

So bummed! I just built up a set over the summer for my Enduro Mixer. Used the new 3834 rims with boost hubs and they are as light as some of my friends ENVE's (double lay ups mind you...which have cracked mind you). The wheels are super durable and I haven't had to true them up but once after the initial ride. Cody was super helpful as well. I may just have to pick up another set of rims as they come in both 29 and 27.5 which is unusual and what I need. Sorry to see you guys go. There aren't many true innovators like yourselves out there any more. Best of luck if you read this.

Always sad when a true brand goes under, and as you say, not a me too brand either.

Its a poor reflection of the state of the industry currently - direct to market brands (usually me too brands as they rarely innovate and simply ride the coat tails of the true product innovators) get lauded by consumers because they win points in the biggest metric the consumer requires - price. But they wont be companies pushing the boundaries and researching and developing new product because that costs money, and the consumer doesn't see value in the next five years of development, only the price NOW. It fits with the online business model of serving customers who believe they know better than established brands, a common theme these days.

When the dust settles in a few years, and more true innovators like AC have gone, we will probably be left with a bunch of "me too" companies that will struggle to fill the quality void left. And if consumers think these companies wont ramp up pricing (the direct to market guys have already began to do) as the competition disappears then they aren't as clued up as they think they are. Loss leading is this industries biggest problem and fits the model of either previously failed and now relaunching companies (Marin, Whyte recently in the UK?) or those who are trying to buy your business. Its short term, and unfortunately something that is very appealing to what increasingly looks like a dumbed down market. The problem is, a true innovator like AC cant compete for this market on price as they have too much respect for their consumers and they strive to produce the best product they can, not the best Price Point they can.

I am sure to most here this will make no sense - why pay more? But the result in a few years appears to be a rather unpalatable industry run by massive multinationals with huge marketing budgets. But then, once you've got the taste for the Koolaid.....

Since you make your claims & speak in generalizations, how bout you back them up instead of running your mouth! True facts always prove to be the cure for what ailes most. Anyway, take whatever product you liked that they made and compare it with the "2-3 top companies" similar products. Tell us exactly the specs of the product & their competitors, looks of product, maintenance of product, performance of product and the cost to make the product and retail cost to consumer? Since you claim the big dogs only produce "me too" products & don't invest in R&D this should be easy for you.

No need to give us updates, final factually based results is all we need. Pipe down & get to work Busta!

American Classic alright! Offices in the US, and factory overseas. Top guys get top dollar, the workers get scraps, and the consumer pays for it all. Sucks they're closing, but maybe if they did things differently?

I just loved how "no bullsht" AC was. I still have set and they're 10 years old. Still dead straight and roll like a dream. They're a bit like the light bulb that still worked after 110 years. That company folded too...

So wanted his seatpost and QRs back in the day. Ended up getting a early cassette hub that had a penchant for going kablooey. I don't think I've run anything American Classic in over 20 years. But man...that seatpost....

Yep. Know of them for years but never thought to buy anything. "While there is a lot of time and attention spent on cultivating a Brand of Cool in the bike industry, Shook and Kast never, ever gave a crap about any of that..." Unfortunately, you can't just have a good product these days. Gotta have the marketing to back it up.

@BiNARYBiKE: Nonsense. The only thing marketing does is confirm two things.

1. You need the confirmation of your peers that the product is cool. You are ignorant enough to accept the word of a marketer, someone who is paid to make you want their gear.2. Marketing costs money, which comes from margin. AC spent on innovation, not kool aid for the above consumer. Thats better for AC customers who get the benefits, and the industry evolves. Marketing funds comes from the same pot of cash - not some magic pot of money. So one company strives to improve for the future, while one just wants your money now.

"demands of the consumer" is your way of saying you're cheap and want the lowest price for everything. AC are actual wheel people, not some factory who churns out cheap shit copies and couldn't give a monkeys about their consumers. You've got his wrong - have you watched the Enve video and what they could be doing if they thought the tight fisted customer was the one to listen to? The fact remains - companies spend on R & D or marketing. You buy the marketing lead products, because they're priced keen. I buy the R & D lead products. The irony is that the current trend is bleating about new standards and the cost - give it five to ten years and see whats left in that environment. Nothing but large companies run by accountants.

Your unnecessarily harsh statement means i wont be apologising for being brash.

@Bustacrimes: nothing against you but I wanted to clarify that the utmost and primary role of marketing is to inform a potential client about existence of your product... when it comes to hype... idiots do it to themselves, marketers only toss a penny of pseudoscientific information between them.

@BiNARYBiKE Consumer Demand does not exist on it's own. In vast majority of cases, at least when it comes to bicycles it is manufactured. You don't know you want something until you see it presented to you.

Bustedcrimes -> I agree around the industry consolidation point. I’m wondering how much d2c bike brands will force smaller companies out of business.

Also, eThirteen did it right. A small company who built awesome products and gradually got the word out about them. and now they have an OE relationship with Santa Cruz and YT, speccing their wheelsets and drivetrain widgets. I’ve seen plenty of eThirteen product buzz and reviews in recent years. They built the products, awareness, and got the OE contracts too.

Pretty much. I looked at their stuff several times and never found anything interesting. They also never really had much of a reputation. You want a good quality hub that will last, people say stuff like DT Swiss or Chirs King--never think of AC. I'm not really sure what AC's niche was ever supposed to be.

Any company that used that same free hub body design that wtb did isn’t smart enough to survive.Surprisingly durable is not as good as actually durable.Pushing for ultralight weight just means your shits the weakest.And being passionate to the point of nutty will not get you where you need to be.Sorry guys.

I think that’s the problem. As the sport grows they haven’t promoted themselves enough. Many old schoolers know the brand and have a favorable opinion of them, but newer riders don’t (tho I realize a couple of long timers here haven’t heard of them).

It’s tough because in a sea of competitive wheelsets you need a dialed marketing plan.

Last year whilst researching wheelsets I struggled to find an 29” Wide Lightning or equivalent from AC that was in stock anywhere.

You hate to see this happen but it will continue.

Separate comment but frame companies are gonna keep feeling the squeeze. YT’s 2018 Jeffsy base model is $2300 which is unprecedented for a proven, high end bike at an “affordable” price point. Ironically it just needs a decent wheelset.

Why are the posts the state they have never heard of them down-voted, its true, their name is not out there, marketing seems to be their downfall, and possibly arrogance, maybe they feel that they have been around longer and thus people SHOULD know them.
Only ever seen their name in passing, sound more like a modern clothing apparel line than wheel maker anyway